Jayapura – The Provincial Government of Papua Pegunungan through the Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Service Office will tighten supervision of pig shipments from outside the region. This is to anticipate the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), which has been found in several districts in Papua Mountains.
Malhai Mabel, Secretary of the Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Service Office of Papua Highlands Province, said six cases of ASF have been found in Jayawijaya and Yahukimo districts. However, the office has not been able to detail the cases.
“In Papua Pegunungan, six cases [of ASF] have been found in Jayawijaya and Yahukimo. Laboratory tests have been conducted, and the results are positive. While other districts, [we] have not been able to go to the field to confirm the laboratory tests,” Malhai said in a press statement in Wamena, Monday (23/12/2024).
The Papua Highlands Provincial Government will tighten monitoring of pig shipments from outside Papua Highlands. For the time being, no live pigs or slaughtered meat will be imported from areas where ASF cases have been found.
According to him, the Food Service Office of Papua Mountains has met with several airlines in Sentani, Jayapura Regency, Papua Province. They asked the airlines not to transport pigs from areas outside Papua Mountains that are categorized as infected areas.
Malhai admitted that efforts to limit the shipment of pigs from outside Papua Mountains are quite difficult to do, considering that people do not understand the dangers of ASF. In addition, the restriction is still an appeal, because the Papua Provincial Government has not finished making regulations restricting the shipment of pigs from outside the Papua Mountains, which is planned to be outlined in the form of a regional head decree.
“We can only convey to all levels of society to be vigilant together. This outbreak is very dangerous for pig farmers in the Papua Mountains, so it needs to be understood together,” he said.
Malhai warned that bringing in pigs without going through a proper quarantine process increases the risk of spreading the ASF outbreak. “So we appeal to farmer groups and business groups who have the intention of sending live pigs or frozen meat cuts, for the time being not allowed,” he said.
The Food Service of Papua Mountains encourages farmer groups and other communities to develop local livestock to meet the need for pork in Papua Mountains. “For the people of Papua Mountains in particular, pigs are animals that have high economic value. We ask the entire community to breed pigs [and] consume [pork] that comes from local in their respective regions,” he said.
